DCLG calls for procurement evidenceThe Department of Communities and Local Government has made a call for evidence into local government procurement. It hopes to discover how much it is delivering good value for money and meeting councils’ objectives as well as highlight good practice and initiatives within procurement for councils to adopt. The deadline for submissions is noon on Friday September 6.

Remove GPC barriers, says LGAThe Local Government Association has asked Eric Pickles to remove barriers to the wider use of the general power of competence. According to the association councils could make greater use of the power if restrictions on trading and charging are lifted (charges made under the GPC can only be made for “discretionary services which recover costs and do not generate a profit or surplus”).

LGPS funds invest in low carbon fundClwyd Pension Fund and the Environment Agency pension fund have become the first local authority investors in the Threadneedle Low-Carbon Workplace Trust. The trust was launched in 2010 and invests in energy efficient buildings. Environment Agency head of pension fund management Dawn Turner said evidence suggests “environmentally conscious buildings” will deliver higher returns through higher net income growth and lower risk perception.

Newport offers business loansNewport City Council is making low interest loans to local businesses. Both established and start-up businesses can apply for funds from £500- £1000 for start ups and £10,000 for businesses in existence for more than 12 months. The loans can be used to invest in plant and equipment, IT, marketing and building improvements and are at base+1%.

Innovate to keep up with cuts, say councilsOne third of councils think that they could make half of the cuts required of them by delivering services differently according to a survey by the New Local Government Network. The think tank surveyed 65 councils and also found that while councils feel they are well-placed to deliver innovation, time is not on their side, with day-to-day pressures getting in the way of transformation. Councils also feel they lack skills and that the pace of change in local government is too slow.

Colchester and Essex offer LAMSColchester Council is joining with Essex County Council to offer the Local Authority Mortgage Scheme to help first time buyers. Colchester will put £2m into the scheme and Essex £1m. House buyers will raise a 5% deposit and the two councils will put in 10% each to create a total 25% deposit. Colchester is using money from cash reserves for the scheme.

Public service mutuals help improve qualityA study into public service mutuals has found ‘clear evidence’ that they can improve service quality and drive innovation. The Boston Consulting Group said that 62 public mutuals had been launched since 2010, providing 3000 new jobs.

Wolverhampton seeks £86m in savingsWolverhampton City Council has to find another £86m savings following the spending review. The council has revealed that taxpayers will decide how much they want to cut from each department’s budget in an effort to demonstrate the difficult decisions it has to make over the coming six years.

Hinkley and Bosworth, Darlington make regeneration loansA regeneration project in Hinkley and Bosworth is to go ahead after the council agreed to lend it £7m. The council will use reserves for the loan which will help build a cinema, a supermarket and a bus station. Meanwhile Darlington is to borrow £9m to fund a multi-storey car park and cinema.

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